Blind-fastener for harness.



T. J. STEEN. BLIND FASTENBR FOR HARNESS.

APPLIOAI'ION TILED OCT-7. 1909. I

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE J. STEEN, OF ST. PAUL, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER B. STEEN, OF ST. PAUL, NEBRASKA.

BLIND-FASTENER FOR. HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Original application filed April 22, 1908, Serial No. 428,544. Divided and this application filed October 7,

useful Improvements in Blind-Fasteners for Harness, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to winker strap fasteners of that general class shown and described in United States Letters Patent issued to me on the 23rd day of February 1909 under No. 913,577, and of which the present application forms a division.

The object'of the invention is to provide a novel form of fastener especially designed for connecting the blind or winker to the winker strap ofa bridle, the construction of the fastener being such that the same may be used on either old or new harness.

A further object is to provide a winker brace fastener including a body portion having means for attachment to a winker or blind and rovided with a tubular member or socket .or the reception of the adjacent end of the winker strap, there being lugs disposed on opposite sides of the socket for engagement with the adjacent edge of the blind, thereby to securely anchor the fastener on said blind and also to assist in reinforcing and strengthening the same.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for elfecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bridle provided with a winker strap fastener constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the fastener is formed; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the fastener ready to be applied to the winker or blind of a bridle;

Serial No. 521,493.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner of connecting the winker or blind with the winker strap; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followin description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved fastener forming the subject matter of the present invention is specially designed for connecting the blind or winker of a bridle to the winker strap, and by way of illustration is shown in connection with a bridle of the ordinary construc tion in which- 5 designates the head stall, 6 the stay strap, and 7 the winker strap connecting the blinds or winkers 8, as shown.

The fastener is preferably constructed from a flat metallic plate or blank 9 having substantially parallel longitudinal edges 10 and one end thereof reduced to form a tapered attaching arm 11, there being curved incisions 12 formed in the body of the blank and extending inwardly and downwardly from the opposite longitudinal edges 10 thereof.

The metal between the curved incisions 12 is stamped or pressed laterally to produce a tubular member or socket 13 adapted to receive the adjacent end of the winker strap 7, the metal between the incisions 12 and the adjacent longitudinal edges 10 of the blank being bent laterally in the direction of the open end of the tubular member 13 to form angularly disposed attaching lugs 14.- adapted to be bent over the adjacent edge of the winker or blind S, and thence downwardly and inwardly against the inner face of said winker.

An opening 15 is formed in the reduced end of the plate or blank in spaced relation to the tapered terminal 11 thereof to permit the insertion of a fastening device 16. The fastening device 16 is preferably in the form of a pin, one end of which is provided with an enlarged head adapted to bear against the exterior face of the fastener, while the other end thereof is bifurcated to form spaced arms 17 arranged to be spread laterally against the inner face of the winker. If desired however, any other suitable form of fastening device may be employed for securing the fastener in position on the winker without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In applying the fastener to the blind or winker of a bridle, the reduced end of the blank or plate 9 is secured to the exterior face of the blind by means of the fastening device 16, which also passes through the end of the winker strap 7 after which the lugs 14 are bent over the adjacent edge of the blind or winker and thence downwardly and inwardly against the inner face thereof. The free edges of the metal constituting the tubular portion or socket 13, are then bent or clamped around the adjacent end of the winker strap 7, as best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, thus securely connecting the blind to the winker strap.

Attention is here called to the fact that the tapered or reduced portion 11 of the plate bears against one side of the blind or winker, while the lugs 14 extend over the adjacent edge of the winker on opposite sides of the tubular portion or socket of the fastener and are bent in contact with the other side thereof so as to reinforce and strengthen the blind or winker at its point of attachment to the winker strap. It will also be noted that the lugs 14, by engagement wit-h the adjacent edge of the winker, not only serve to reinforce and strengthen the winker, but also serve to prevent tilting movement of the fastener on the pin 16.

The device is extremely simple in construction and may be made applied to new harness during the manufacture of the same, or to old harness should the winker strap become accidentally detached from the blind or winker.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A winker strap fastener comprising a plate having an arm for engagement with the outer face of a winker and provided with a tubular portion for the reception of a winker strap, said plate being provided with horizontal attaching lugs arranged on opposite sides of said tubular portion and adapted to be bent over the upper edge of the winker and in contact with the inner face thereof.

2. A winker strap fastener comprising a plate having means at one end thereof for attachment to the outer face of a winker and its intermediate portion pressed laterally to form a socket for the reception of the adjacent end of a winker strap, said plate being provided with integral horizontally disposed attaching lugs arranged on opposite sides of the socket and adapted to be bent over the upper edge of the winker with their terminals disposed in contact with the inner face of said winker, there being an opening Y ing bent laterally to form a tubular portion for engagement with a winker strap, and the metal between the incisions and the adjacent edges of the plate being bent laterally to form horizontally disposed attaching lugs adapted to be bent over the upper edgeof a winker and in contact with the other side thereof.

4:. As a new article of manufacture, a winker strap fastener comprising a plate having one end thereof tapered and provided with oppositely disposed incisions extending from the longitudinal edges of the plate downwardly in the direction of the tapered portion thereof, the metal between the incisions being bent laterally to produce an open sided socket, and the metal between the incisions and the adj acent longitudinal edges of the plate being bent laterally in the direction of the open side of the socket to form angularly disposed attaching lugs, there being an opening formed in the tapered portion of the plate to permit the insertion of a fastening device.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a winker strap fastener comprising a metallic plate having one end thereof tapered to form a reduced extension and its other end substantially square, there being curved incisions extending from the opposite longitudinal edges of the plate downwardly in the direction of the reduced extension thereof, the metal between said incisions being bent laterally to produce an open sided tubular member, and the metal between the-incisions and the adjacent longitudinal edges of the plate being bent laterally in the direction of the open side of the tubular member to form attaching lugs, the reduced portion of the plate being provided with an opening for the reception of a fastening device, the metal forming the closed portion of the tubular member being pressed laterally at the base thereof in a direction opposite the attaching lugs to form a depression.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

THEODORE J. STEEN; Witnesses:

PAUL ANDERSON, ROBERT M. FARLEY. 

